SUSTAINABLE FISHERIES MANAGEMENT PROJECT (SFMP) UNDERSTANDING THE FLOW OF FISH: A SCOPING VISIT TO NORTHERN GHANA DECEMBER, 2018 MOFAD, Fisheries Commission This publication is available electronically in the following locations: The Coastal Resources Center http://www.crc.uri.edu/projects_page/ghanasfmp/ Ghanalinks.org https://ghanalinks.org/elibrary search term: SFMP USAID Development Clearing House https://dec.usaid.gov/dec/content/search.aspxx search term: Ghana SFMP For more information on the Ghana Sustainable Fisheries Management Project, contact: USAID/Ghana Sustainable Fisheries Management Project Coastal Resources Center Graduate School of Oceanography University of Rhode Island 220 South Ferry Rd. Narragansett, RI 02882 USA Tel: 401-874-6224 Fax: 401-874-6920 Email: [email protected] Citation: Tiwaah Amoah Y, Hardi B, Beran, K. (2015). Understanding the flow of fish: A scoping visit to Northern Ghana. The USAID/Ghana Sustainable Fisheries Management Project (SFMP). Narragansett, RI: Coastal Resources Center, Graduate School of Oceanography, University of Rhode Island and MOFAD. GH2014_ACT256_CRC pp 25 Authority/Disclaimer: Prepared for USAID/Ghana under Cooperative Agreement (AID-641-A-15-00001), awarded on October 22, 2014 to the University of Rhode Island, and entitled the USAID/Ghana Sustainable Fisheries Management Project (SFMP). This document is made possible by the support of the American People through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The views expressed and opinions contained in this report are those of the SFMP team and are not intended as statements of policy of either USAID or the cooperating organizations. As such, the contents of this report are the sole responsibility of the SFMP team and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government. Cover photo: Smoked Catfish in Bolgatanga, Ghana i Detailed Partner Contact Information: USAID/Ghana Sustainable Fisheries Management Project (SFMP) 10 Obodai St., Mempeasem, East Legon, Accra, Ghana Telephone: +233 0302 542497 Fax: +233 0302 542498 Maurice Knight Chief of Party [email protected] Kofi Agbogah Senior Fisheries Advisor [email protected] Nii Odenkey Abbey Communications Officer [email protected] Bakari Nyari Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist [email protected] Brian Crawford Project Manager, CRC [email protected] Ellis Ekekpi USAID AOR (acting) [email protected] Kofi.Agbogah [email protected] Resonance Global Stephen Kankam (formerly SSG Advisors) [email protected] 182 Main Street Hen Mpoano Burlington, VT 05401 38 J. Cross Cole St. Windy Ridge +1 (802) 735-1162 Takoradi, Ghana Thomas Buck 233 312 020 701 [email protected] Andre de Jager Victoria C. Koomson [email protected] [email protected] SNV Netherlands Development Organisation CEWEFIA #161, 10 Maseru Road, B342 Bronyibima Estate E. Legon, Accra, Ghana Elmina, Ghana 233 30 701 2440 233 024 427 8377 Donkris Mevuta Lydia Sasu Kyei Yamoah [email protected] [email protected] DAA Friends of the Nation Darkuman Junction, Kaneshie Odokor Parks and Gardens Highway Adiembra-Sekondi, Ghana Accra, Ghana 233 312 046 180 233 302 315894 For additional information on partner activities: CRC/URI: http://www.crc.uri.edu CEWEFIA: http://cewefia.weebly.com/ DAA: http://womenthrive.org/development-action-association-daa Friends of the Nation: http://www.fonghana.org Hen Mpoano: http://www.henmpoano.org Resonance Global: https://resonanceglobal.com/ SNV: http://www.snvworld.org/en/countries/ghana ii TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS ............................................................................................................... iii LIST OF TABLES ......................................................................................................................... iii LIST OF FIGURES ....................................................................................................................... iii OVERVIEW ................................................................................................................................... 1 Appendix A ................................................................................................................................. 7 Appendix B ............................................................................................................................... 14 Appendix C ............................................................................................................................... 18 Appendix D ............................................................................................................................... 19 Appendix E ............................................................................................................................... 20 LIST OF TABLES Table 1: Types of fish species in Northern parts of Ghana ............................................................. 2 Table 2. Key informants in the Northern Region ......................................................................... 18 Table 3. Fish species seen in the Northern Region ....................................................................... 19 Table 4. Prices of fish (in Cedis) .................................................................................................. 20 Table 5. Prices of Chicken ............................................................................................................ 21 Table 6. Other meats/eggs prices .................................................................................................. 21 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. Source and destination of inland and marine species ...................................................... 5 iii OVERVIEW A four-day scoping visit was conducted in December, 2018 to better understand the types of fish species traded and consumed in Northern parts of Ghana. This exercise was conducted in collaboration with the Post-Harvest Unit of the Fisheries Commission at the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture with support from the USAID/Ghana Sustainable Fisheries Management Project (SFMP). The primary key informants were fish traders and processors at markets in Bolgatanga (Upper East), Wa (Upper West), Tamale (Northern Region), and Techiman (Brong Ahafo). A snowball sampling technique was used to identify additional key informants such as cold storage owners and operators, fish selling stations (i.e. roadside or from a truck), and fish farmers from among their acquaintances. Further details about each study site is located in Appendix A. A proposal for future research about fish consumption in the Northern Region is located in Appendix B. The proposal came out of a meeting with the University of Development Studies in Tamale. A list with names and contact information for some of the key informants interviewed during this scoping visit is located in Appendix C. A list of species identified during this scoping visit is located in Appendix D, and prices of fish and other proteins collected during this visit is located in Appendix E. The main take-aways from this scoping visit are: There are more inland species (freshwater capture and aquaculture) than marine species sold at markets in Northern parts of Ghana. The majority (~70 percent) of inland species belong to the catfish family (species are listed in Appendix D).1 There are more marine species than inland species sold at cold storages in Northern parts of Ghana. There is a perception among those interviewed that the availability of both inland and marine species has declined over the past five years in Ghana, yet, demand for fish consumption is believed to be gradually increasing in Northern parts according to respondents’ perceptions about the health benefits of consuming fish. The cost and logistics of transporting fish from “source to destination” is a barrier for traders and processers in Northern parts of Ghana. There is limited research conducted on the consumption of fish in Northern parts of Ghana according to the University of Development Studies in Tamale. 1 It is important to note this scoping visit was conducted during the cold and dry season (Harmattan) which might influence the diversity of inland species seen at markets in the Northern Region, especially the abundance of catfish. Catfish is more resistant to colder temperatures than tilapia. 1 Table 1 highlights the dominant species found by location, and includes method of production and source. Fish is not ranked according to abundance. Table 1: Types of fish species in Northern parts of Ghana City Type of fish2 Location Product form Production Source Inland capture, Yeji, Nasia area Catfish Market Smoked Farm Market/Cold Yeji, Nasia area Tilapia Salted/Fresh Inland capture Store Nile Perch Market Smoked Inland capture Yeji, Nasia area Chrysichthys Market Smoked Inland capture Nasia area Bolgatanga Saltpond, Anchovies Market Smoked Marine Abuesi, Sekondi Market/Cold Saltpond, Herring Smoked/Frozen Marine Store Abuesi, Sekondi Imported Mackerel Cold Store Frozen Marine (Tema) Catfish Market Fresh/smoked Inland capture Tono Dam, Yeji Tono Dam, Navrongo Inland capture, Tilapia Market Fresh/smoked/frozen Volta Catch, Farm imports, Yeji Yeji, Buipe, Catfish Market Smoked Inland capture Daboya, Dalun Yeji, Buipe, Inland capture, Tilapia Market Salted, Fresh farmed from Farm Volta Region Tamale Cold store Mackerel Market Smoked Marine (Tema, Kumasi) Takoradi, Herring Market Smoked Marine Techiman Takoradi, Anchovies Market Smoked